royal style in the making

Kensington palace

Housed in the beautifully conserved Orangery at Kensington Palace, this ground-breaking exhibition tells the story of the relationship between royalty and the couturiers who dress them. 

The exhibition explores the creative process involved in dressing a royal with never-before-seen sketches, fabrics, and photographs from the archives of some of the most celebrated royal couturiers, together with examples of their most famous works.  

At its centre, the exhibition showcases the iconic wedding dress of Diana, Princess of Wales, shown at Kensington Palace for the first time in 25 years, inviting visitors to view up close the exquisite detail of one of the most recognisable dresses in history.

The garments and objects featured in this show are extremely light sensitive and have a strict set of conservation requirements.  To overcome these challenges Beam created a scheme using combinations of top and low-level lighting to ‘graze-light’ the fabrics, accentuating the form and intricacies of the designs.  Thoughtfully incorporated accent lighting into the built set-works and beautiful architecture created a luxurious backdrop for the garments.  A series of tall lightboxes served to set the scene of the objects, featuring the Atelier’s studios and scenes from the Palace.

All images courtesy of Historic Royal Palaces.